Gluten Cheat Sheets

Gluten Substitution Chart

Shop for a Gluten-Free Diet

• Start with produce. There is very little chance of finding any gluten in this section! Load up on veggies for salads and stir fries that you can be sure are GF.
• In all other areas of the store, simply read ingredients. Some gluten indicators are obvious, like “Wheat” or “Barley”, but ingredients like “Malt” (derived from barley), “Stabilizers”, and “Natural Flavors” are questionable and should be avoided. Maltodextrin is usually gluten free in products made in the US.

• Be very careful about prepared sauces, condiments, and dressings. Malt vinegar contains gluten and is a common flavoring. Learn to prepare your own sauces and dressings from scratch (using oils and non malted vinegars).
• Be diligent about reading ingredients even with different flavors of the same product. You may determine that the “pepper” flavor of a cracker is safe for you, but the BBQ flavor from the same manufacturer is not.
• Since your starch palette will be the most affected by a gluten free diet, focus on these wonderful gluten free starches: Potatoes, corn (grits and polenta), rice, quinoa, millet, amaranth, tapioca, and buckwheat (this is not really wheat). Bob’s Red Mill has a whole line dedicated to GF grains and flours that you will find in most natural food stores.
• Check to see if oats have been prepared with dedicated machinery. Oats themselves are a gluten-free grain, but they are often grown near to wheat and may be processed on the same machines as wheat, so it’s wise to avoid products with oats in them. You can find gluten free oats at natural grocers, but they are much more expensive.

  • After researching other gluten free grains and products, explore international grocery stores for more variety in produce as well as starches like rice and rice noodles.
• Find soy sauce alternatives. Soy sauce actually contains wheat, but Tamari is pure soy sauce and has no wheat. You can also find this at international supermarkets.
• Look around for pasta alternatives. There are several very good brands of gluten free pasta, namely, Tinkyada which has good texture and is only made from brown rice. This product is now in many mainstream grocery stores.
• Watch for ‘gluten free’ branding. “Gluten Free” is becoming a more common advertising element on food products, which is great! These products are often pricey, but can be nice treat.
• Look around for gluten free section. Some grocery stores are now grouping gluten free items in one section. Ask a grocery staff person if they have set up a gluten free area.

TIPS

• Make a list of glutenous ingredients before you go shopping (there are numerous internet sources).
• Gluten free bread is almost always better toasted.
• It seems like there is a new gluten free bread item every few months, even in the mainstream grocery stores. They are usually in the frozen section.
• Buy in Bulk Gluten Free Shopping

The post How to Grocery Shop for a Gluten Free Diet appeared first on Fork Off Gluten.